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Warren Srarns Farmer @rrrca DANIEL M. LEFEVER, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE LEFEVER ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,397, dated October 27, 1835.

Application filed March 30, 1855. Serial No. 160,571. (No model.) 7 7 To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL M. LEFEVER, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has reference to the class of IO breechloading guns in which the barrels swing vertically on the breechpiece in opening and closing the gun, and relates more particularly to the species of guns which have the hammer concealed by the lock-plate covering it, and

are usually designated hammerless guns.

The invention consists, first, in improved means for automatically cooking the gun when opening the. same; and, secondly, in novel devices for operating the safety-catch to throw the same into and out of engagement with the sear when required, all as hereinafter more fully explained, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figures 1 and 2 z 5 are longitudinal sections of a gun provided with my improvements, said sections being taken partly central under one of the barrels, and partly in the center of the breech-block and tang back of the barrels; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged fdetail view of the push-bar, which transmits motion from the fore end to the hammer in cooking the latter.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A denotes the usual breechpiece on which the barrels B are hinged, and C designates the usual fore-end strap, which is fastened to the under side of the barrels and abuts against the end of the breech-piece.

E represents the hammer, (shown partly in dotted lines to better illustrate other essential features of the invention,) said hammer being provided above its pivot with a shoulder, is, and back of this shoulder is a channel, m, extended longitudinally through the breechpiece A. In said channel-slides a push-bar, which is composed of a rod, (it, having one end screw-threaded and screwed onto a head, b, having an axial screw-threaded socket for the reception of the aforesaid end of the rod a, as

illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This construction allows the push-bar to be extended lengthwise, and thus compensate for the wear of its ends and of the parts in contact therewith. The forward end of the breech-piece is provided with a mortise, m, in which is pivoted a lever, a, one arm of which protrudes through the end of the breech-piece, and the other arm bears against the end of the pushbar a b, which is held in contact therewith by a spring, 0, interposed between the head I), and inner end of the channel in which said head slides. The fore-end strap 0 has a hole,

1", in the end by which it abuts against the breech-piece, and into said hole projects the protruding arm of the lever to.

In tilting the barrels into an open position, as represented in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the fore-end strap depresses the aforesaid protruding lever-arm, and thereby causes the lever a to press the pushbar a b rearward. The abutment of said push-bar against the shoulder it throws the hammer into a cooked position, where it is retained in the usual manner by the sear S engaging a notch on the hammer. In closing the gun the aforesaid engagement of the fore-end strap with the lever it draws the said lever back to its normal position, and thus relieves the spring of the push-bar of said function, and consequently admits of the use of a much lighter spring.

1 denotes the safety-catch, designed to prevent accidental discharge of the gun, said safetycatch consisting of a lever pivoted on the thumb-piece D, which is pivoted on the tang T. This lever is swung on its pivot automatically with the operation of opening and closing the gun, so that when the gun is opened, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the safety catch or lever Z is swung into a position clear of the sear S, and thus allows the latter to catch into the usual notch on the hammer and retain the same in its cocked position, into which it is thrown simultaneously with the closing of the gun by the medium of the lever to and push-bar a bin the manner hereinbefore described. Said automatic action of thesafety-catch effectually prevents its interference with the action of the scar, and obviates the danger of breaking the sear or parts 100 connected therewith when closing the gun. In closing the gun'the safety-catch is automatically swung into aposition to arrest the movement of the sear from its engagement with the hammer, and thus guard against accidental discharge of the gun.

The aforesaid automatic action of the safetycatch is accomplished by the following instrumentalities: In a recess in the breech-block or back of the recoil-plate is a vertical locking-hook, H, pivoted atits foot by a gudgeon, p, which slides in a socket in the lower end or shank of the locking-hook, and is held protruding from the same and in a step in the usual trigger-plate, F, by means of a spring bearing against the inner end of the gudgeon.

- The upper end or hook proper of the lockinghook is adapted to interlock with a notch, N, on the usual 'top fastener, M, and is pressed toward the same by a spring-plate, h, attached at one end to the foot of the locking-hook and bearing with its opposite end against the back of the recess in which the locking-hook moves, said spring h thus exerting a pressure against the back of the locking-hook. Underneath the tang T is a sliding bar, 9, which is con nected at one end with the upper portion of the locking-hook H, and at the opposite end with the thumb-piece D, below the pivot thereof. This connection allows the locking-hook to be retracted from its engagement with the top fastener, M, by pushing the thumb-piece forward. This is done whenever it is desired to open the gun. On top of the tang, back of the thumb-piece D, is a slide, 0, which has a lug, 0, extending through a slot, 8, in the tang, and to said lug is attached a strap or bar, d, arranged underneath the tang and connected at one end with the safety-lever Z, above the pivot thereof. The opposite end of the strap dis attenuated or thinned to convert it into a spring, t, which is provided with a shoulder by which it catches into notches n n in the under side of the tang. In closing the gun the top fastener, M, thrusts the locking hook H rearward before engaging with the notch N, and the rearward thrust of the locking-hook swings the lower portion of the thumb-piece rearward by means of the sliding bar 9. The latter at the same time pushes back the strap d, which is provided with a suitable abutting-shoulder, w, for that purpose, and causes the spring end 43 thereof to engage with the rear notch 02. As the rear end of the barrels is pressed down onto the breechpiece A,the locking-hook H is thrown into engagement with the notch N of the top fastener, M, by the spring h, and the resultant forward thrust of the locking-hook draws the lower portion of the thumb-piece D forward. The upper end of the safety-lever Z, be ing in the meantime retained by the engagement of the strap (1 with the rear notch n, causes the lower end of the safety-lever to be swung forward and over the sear S, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thereby maintaining said sear in engagement with the hammer and preventing accidental discharge of the gun. When it is desired to fire the gun, the slidechas to be pushed forward. This, carrying with it the strap d,throws the safety-lever Z off from the sear and liberates the same, to be operated by the trigger I. In front of the locking-hook His a bolt, 6, sliding in a vertical channel in the breech-bloclgand pressed upward, so as to hold its upper end in the path of the top fastener,M,by means of a spring, f, bearing against the lower end of the said bolt. From the side of the bolt 6 facing the lockinghook H projects a studpin, e, which extends through a vertical slot in the breech-block, which slot limits the upward movement of the bolt and allows it to project sufficiently into the path of the top fastener, M, to cause the latter to depress the bolt when throwing the rear end of the barrels down onto the breechpiece, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The locking-hook H is provided with a hole, j, in such relative position that when the gun is closed and in the condition last described the stud-pin e enters the hole j, and thus avoids interference with the locking action of the locking-hook. hook to open the gun, the stud-pin e is withdrawn from the hole j, and the bolt 6 is there by liberated to be forced upward and into the path of the top fastener, M, by the springf, and when in this position the stud-pin ebears against the locking-hook H and retains the same in its retracted position, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. By so doing the safety catch or lever Z is held away from the sear, and remains so until the barrels are brought down onto the breech-piece in clos- 'ing the gun,when the top fastener, M, strikes the upper end of the bolt e and depresses the said bolt sufficiently to allow the stud-pin e to enter the hole j of the locking-hook, the latter then being allowed to spring forward into engagement with the notch N. This latter action of the lockinghook throws the safety-lever Z over the sear in the manner hereinbefore described.

I am aware of the use of a lug fixed to the barrels for actuating a lever pivoted on the bridge-piece, which lever cooks the hammer by the medium of a push-bar when throwing the barrels into their open position; but in such a device the spring which retracts the push-bar is burdened with the additional strain of throwing the aforesaid lever into its normal position; and, furthermore, it is more difficult and expensive to attach a lug to the barrels than it is to drill a hole in the fore-end strap, and the said hole affords a more secure hold on the lever than the lug referred to.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The safety-catch Z, consisting of a lever pivoted on the thumb-piece D, a slide, 0, on the tang, and a strap, d, connecting the slide In retracting the lockingwith the safety catch, to release the sear from said catch when desired to fire the gun, sub stantially as set forth. 7

2. In combination with the safety-catch and locking-hook, a sliding bar arranged to transmit motion from the locking-hook to the safetyoatch and a bolt arranged movably in the path of the top fastener of the barrels, and automatically holding the locking-hook in its retracted position when the gun is opened, whereby the safety-catch is held clear of the sear, and the latter is enabled to engage with the hammer when closing the gun, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the locking-hook, of the thumb-piece pivoted on the tang, a sliding bar connecting the thumb-piece with the locking-hook, the safety-catch pivoted on the thumb-piece, a slide on the tang, and a strap connecting said slide with the safetycatch, substantially as described and shown.

4. The combination, with the locking-hook H, of the bolt 6, arranged in the path of the top fastener of the barrels, the spring f under the bolt, the stud-pin e,,projecting from the bolt, the thumb-piece D, pivoted on the tang, the bar 9, connecting the locking-hook with the thumbpiece, the safety-catch Z, pivoted on the thumb-piece, and the slide 0, connected with the safety-catch by the strap (1, substantially as described and shown.

5. In combination with the top fastener, M, attached to the barrels, the locking-hook H, pivoted at its foot, the spring h, bearing against the back of said hook, the bolt e, provided with the stud-pin e, and the spring f under the bolt, substantially as described and sh own.

6. In combination with the pivoted thumbpiece D, connected with the locking-bolt, as described, and the safety-catch Z, pivoted on the thumbpiece, the tang T, provided with notches a n, the strap d, connected at one end with the safety-catch above the pivot thereof, and formed at the opposite end into the shape of the spri-ng'oatch i, and the slide a, connected with said strap, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 27th day of March, 1885.

DANIEL M. LEFEVER. [L. s]

Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. Games, 0. BENnIXoN. 

